Four Sword Style
by iatethedarknessflame
Summary: There is not an enemy out there who can withstand the blades of pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro and his accomplice, the blind assassin. She may be scores behind the master swordsman in skill but Crystal has rock-hard resolve and hopes to live up to the honor of being his partner. (One Piece one-shot - ZoroXOC)


Doc Krok rose to his feet with a ferocious roar. The leader of 140 costal bandits did not take kindly to foolish pirates trying to plunder his treasure (regardless of the fact that he hadn't plundered it yet himself). Furthermore, he did not appreciate that these foolish pirates had made fools of him.

"YOU DARE DEFY ME?" he screamed to the four opposing pirates.

Saliva spewed from his pudgy lips as he pronounced each syllable. It splattered on the cavernous floor, further dampening the moist rocks.

The leader of the bandits had been beaten and battered by hundreds of gattling punches from the leader of the pirates. He had been spared only because a few of his cronies tried to slip away from the action with considerable portion of their supplies. The departing meat did not go unnoticed by Luffy. He decided that it was more important to pursue the mouth-watering clubs of bird leg than finish off his unnaturally enhanced opponent.

Without any immediate opposition, Doc Krok readied himself for a crushing Krok-smash. He planted two scaly, claw-enforced feet into the stony floor. The rock cracked beneath the force of his reptilian feet and sunk them inches into the ground. The weight of his over-sized gut protruding from a tattered dirt-smeared shirt only added to the downward weight. He raised his two crocodile arms above his head in preparation to smash the floor of the cave with all of his might. The impact would surely send fissures along the stone and swallow up those who dare get in his way.

"Left yourself open," Usopp taunted.

He shot an exploding star at the enemy's human head and chest from his undisclosed position above the fray. The assault targeted his weaker flesh and temporarily knocked him out.

But now he was on his feet again and he was furious.

Luffy was MIA in his pursuit of his next meal. Usopp was cowering somewhere beyond the battle zone. Nami took it upon herself to sneak away and pursue the treasure. Chopper had gotten lost along the way and hadn't made an appearance yet. Sanji was in the midst of executing a tornado of kicks.

That left Zoro to deal with the menace. After taking a heavy beating, the bandit leader wasn't up to his usual, animalistic self. This wasn't going to be much of an issue.

Zoro assessed his different options for handling the situation. A typical solution would be to slash until he was knocked down and stayed down. It would be tedious with his scaly defense but still a solid option. He could break down those annoying defenses and finish him off with one well executed _Oni Giri_. It would definitely be a more stylish option and still just as effective. Or, he could test out something that's been in the works for some time now...

"Well if it isn't Roronoa Zoro, the infamous pirate hunter," the bandit spat. Those blubbering lips continued to produce saliva which dribbled onto his matted, black beard. "Don't bother, boy. Nothing can pierce my crocodile armor!"

"We'll see about that," the swordsman retorted through gritted teeth.

Not only had he mastered the art of three-sword style, but he had also mastered the art of annunciation while using his three-sword style.

"I know your three-sword style. But it won't work against this shell!"

Doc Krok raised his arms in preparation for a devastating Krok-smash attack. Despite boasting about his terrific defense, he seemed to have left himself wide open.

"Sure, but do you know about my four-sword style?" Zoro grinned deviously.

Nami, who had been on her way out the exit, stopped to watch the scene unfold before her.

"Four swords? How is he supposed to hold anymore?" she asked herself.

Even Sanji took a moment to watch their battle.

Zoro assumed a deadly stance. The one reserved for the intent to finish with one blow. No matter what transpired before, during, or after the blow, he was sure Doc Krok would not be standing in the end.

"Four-sword style!"

Doc Krok saw three swords when Zoro proclaimed his attack. One in his right hand. One in his left hand. And that creepy one in his mouth. That has to be so unsanitary!

What he didn't notice was the shadow drop from the ceiling behind him, summoned by the attack.

A satisfying click signaled that Zoro had simultaneously sheathed all three swords. He stood beyond his opponent with his back turned to him. A blood-choked cry was all the confirmation he needed to know that his swords cleanly hit their mark. Red life gushed from the three slashes across his chest and the great leader crashed to the ground.

On the other hand, the skilled swordsman knew that he could not predict the scene behind him when he heard a frustrated "oh shit" from the other side of their fallen opponent.

"I see," the defeated bandit croaked. The words barely made it over the loose blood pooling in his throat. "The blind assassin is not merely a myth."

His words were slightly cut off at the end by a fit of heaving and dying coughs. There was no more smashing for this man.

Zoro turned around to face the damage. It was, for a swordsman, a disastrous scene. Beyond the bleeding carnage was a heap of cloak, limbs, and hair as blue as the sea. That would be his partner, indeed the blind assassin. The other swordsman was sprawled on the floor in a messy heap and without her sword. It had neither the elegance nor completeness demanded of a skilled fighter.

As for her wide blade, that was lodged part way through Doc Krok's fleshy back. It had been further wedged into his body when he toppled over backwards.

"This seriously sucks!" she cried out as she sat up and righted her clothing. "I need to be stronger!"

Conversely, as a lover, Zoro couldn't be more proud of his girl. He slipped the large blade out from beneath the heaping body as he walked passed. Still not quite dead yet, the bandit leader let out a sharp yelp. It didn't mater - they were dying breaths anyways.

He knelt down beside his apprentice. She had her blindfolded head in her hands and was quietly cursing herself.

"Hey," he gently commanded. "He's been defeated. That's all that matters."

His calloused hands brushed away hers and lifted the cover over her eyes. Her light grey eyes looked meekly up at his. He only felt warmth, for he never feared the icy glare that would encase him in stone by the Zō Zō fruit's powers. It brought her great comfort that he didn't fear her uncontrollable wrath no matter how freaked out or wild she got. He would stare deeply into those eyes forever if it was what she wanted.

But at the moment, she probably just wanted to dwell over her contribution to the fight so he let her vent.

"Why are you pouting?" he teased and poked her scrunched cheeks.

"That was terrible!" she lamented. "I don't even know how it's possible for someone to screw up so much. You know, it's because I'm not nearly strong enough. He's such a fatty, I could barely knock him over. And on top of that, there's no way I could stand up to the opposing force of your _Oni Giri_ anyways. It literally knocked the blade right out of my hands and caught me off balance so I just tumbled to the ground. Like, what the hell! That execution was terrible!"

"So, what are you going to do about it?" he responded simply.

"I'm going to get stronger," she resolved.

"And until then?"

"Let's see. I tried to hit him with about three quarters of my blade. It lodged in his back pretty well but that's when I lost control. If striking against a massive opposing force, I should probably just use the tip of my sword to slice until I can handle more weight."

"Good," he approved, rising from the stone floor. A stream of escaped blood was crawling its way toward them. He wanted to move before it reached them. Unlike one master chef they knew, Zoro didn't care for red-stained feet.

"I'll see to it that you follow through. Promise me you won't give up?"

He knew that she wouldn't but he loved hearing her resolve.

"Promise."

* * *

A/N: If you like this story (which I hope you do!) I have other ones featuring my OC! Please leave a review if you have a moment - I love feedback of any type.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece (;


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